NRL Grand final Buzz: Aaron Woods v Gorden Tallis a late contender for Feud of Year
There have been some beauties this season but rugby league has a brand new feud - Aaron Woods v Gorden Tallis. Get all the grand final gossip via Phil Rothfield.
From the NRL’s latest and greatest feud, to the next superstar Teddy in the NRL, PHIL ROTHFIELD has you covered for NRL grand final gossip.
HIGHLIGHT
Holiday time. Four months away from the weekly media madness of covering NRL footy. No more stinks with Gus, Madge or Cameron Ciraldo. Not until next year anyway.
HIGHLIGHT
Step aside James Tedesco, there’s another superstar Teddy in the NRL. US entertainer Teddy Swims stole the show with a magnificent performance in the grand final pre-match entertainment at Accor Stadium.
Swims absolutely nailed it in belting out hits Bad Dreams and Lose Control but it was his cover of the AC/DC classic TNT that had the stadium rocking and confirmed his performance as a huge success.
And for those keeping score on who did it better - Swims enjoyed a landslide victory over Snoop Dogg’s AFL grand final show on my scorecard.
LOWLIGHT
What a shame that a fantastic NRLW Broncos v Roosters grand final was marred by an ugly brawl on full-time.
Surely there will be charges pending from the match review committee.
BET BUSTER
Cameron Munster is such a great comeback story from his gambling problems. The Storm superstar has been signed up by Victorian authorities as an ambassador for Gambling Harm Awareness Week. He’ll be part of the campaign before leaving for the Kangaroo Tour. I interviewed Munster when he was struggling in 2021 and he admitted to knocking off $50,000 in one day during Covid lockdown.
SPOTTED
Semi-retired broadcaster Ray Hadley called his first grand final in 1985 – reserve grade and third grade for 2UE. Last night he was at home on the Central Coast with wife Sophie with his feet up to enjoy the TV coverage – the first time he hasn’t called since 2001, the year 2UE lost the rights.
SPOTTED
Kevvy Walters, Gorden Tallis, Trevor Gillmeister, Kerry Boustead, Ian Schubert, Blocker Roach, Chris Johns and Shane Webcke enjoying a beer at the Lord Dudley Hotel on Saturday afternoon after the Kangaroos reunion.
SPOTTED
Canterbury Bulldogs star Lachlan Galvin at Randwick races on Epsom Day on Saturday with bleached blond hair.
SPOTTED
A politician-a-thon at the big game with prime minister Anthony Albanese, PNG’s James Marape and state premiers Chris Minns (NSW), David Crisafulli (QLD) and Jacinta Allan (Victoria).
SPOTTED
The TV broadcast on Channel Nine was beamed into no less than 99 countries with a global reach of more than 30 million, according to the NRL. Counties include India, France, Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, South Korea, Vietnam, America, the UK, Swaziland, Uganda and Botswana, although no mention of China on the NRL list, the country where old Super League boss John Ribot once predicted that rugby league would thrive.
SPOTTED
Marty Taupau, banished by the Broncos in May for liking a negative social media post on coach Michael Maguire, was at the game to cheer his old team mates.
SHOOSH
Rugby league has a late contender for feud-of-the-year - Triple M personalities Aaron Woods and Gorden Tallis. Woods had a crack at Gordie last week on a podcast about his comments on the Broncos and Michael Maguire during the season. Tallis returned serve on Sunday Sin Bin. They won’t be exchanging Christmas cards.
SHOOSH
Which extremely popular member of the Canterbury Bulldogs football club staff has been given his marching orders in recent days. It’s a shock because this guy is a very good operator.
SHOOSH
Who said Lee Hagipantelis and Justin Pascoe were the problem at the Wests Tigers? The A-League team they purchased, the Newcastle Jets, won the Australia Cup on Saturday night, ending the club’s 17-year drought for silverware.
360 VIEW
Catch you at 6.30pm on Fox League with Braith Anasta, Gorden Tallis and Brent Read for one final episode of NRL 360 for 2025 to chat about all the big stories from the GF.
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